Originally posted by calsan You can't take photos with money.
My car is twenty years old and worth 2% of it's original price. On the other hand, everything still works fine and i've had twenty years of being able get where I want.
Same with everything. You could avoid this somewhat just by buying second hand...
Absolutely. If you are a bargain hunter, don't buy brand new in the first 9 months of the product's release. Especially for camera bodies.. those are just specialized computers. As technology improves, the desirability of the older technology is diminished and thus prices decrease as more people look for the next big thing. That or buy brand new and hold on to it until it no longer takes photos anymore. The more you wait, the more generations of technology pass by and the more bang for your buck.
Lenses, of course, fair better.. but those also still decrease with time too. I suppose photography gear isn't generally an investment option. haha
I try to keep a camera body for at least 2 years and buy at least 1 generation back. I learned that the hard way buying a K-30 for 600 then selling it just a couple of months later for 300.. ouch. Now I wait for the sales (usually around BF) or buy second hand.
The retail brand new price is for the people who feel they HAVE to have it now and/or just have the money to spend on it. If you have patience, you can get it for less. But like someone already said.. all that time waiting means all that time without it. Just have to weigh what is more important for YOU in your situation.